RECIPES: Recipe Details

I have always been inspired by the creative talents of how both my grandmother and my mother were able to combine different kinds of meats with different kinds of vegetables blended with aromatic spices.

Back in the old days in Morocco, meat was expensive and scarce and in order to stretch their food budget, they had to constantly find ways to prepare delicious well balanced, festive meat meals. If you were fortunate enough to have meat on your table once or twice a week, you were considered to be really lucky! As it turns out, this burger recipe remained in my familyâ€™s favorite recipe book where I too experimented over the years with different options to serve it. Who ever knew or thought back then that a burger evolved to be one of Americaâ€™s favorite and beloved foods?

Sadly, Grandma and Mom are no longer here, yet every time I make these burgers for my family and friends especially for outdoor events and celebrations, I remember those bittersweet moments. Thankfully though, we are fortunate and blessed more so today to eat meat as often as we like.

I hope you take the time to try this recipe because itâ€™s so quick and easy to prepare. You can also cook this indoors on a top skillet if an outdoor BBQ grill is unavailable or if the weather forecast calls for a rainy day. Either way, the results will be the same; flavorful, tangy, and so full of home-made goodness right to your very last bite!

Begin by dissolving Â½ teaspoon baking soda in Â¼ cup cold water and set aside.

Combine the meat and all remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

Mix well with your hands but preferably wearing gloves.

Add the baking soda & water to the meat mixture and mix well.

Form into 6 equal patties. Refrigerate until ready to use.

TO MAKE THE AVOCADO SALSA

Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Gently mix well.

Refrigerate until ready for use.

MEAT COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Brush the grill racks with vegetable oil. Pre-heat the gas grill on medium-high heat setting for approximately 10 minutes. Place the patties on the rack and cover the grill. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Flip the burgers over and cook with the lid closed for an additional 3 minutes or until your desired tenderness is reached.

To assemble the burgers, place one grilled burger into pita bread pocket. Add 3 Tablespoons of the Avocado Salsa into the pita pocket and serve.

SERVES 6

Comments

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to submit my entry to the 2011 Build a Better Burger Contest. It is my pleasure to share my recipe with you and I sincerely hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.